


The Trail We Blaze

by LufwoodEmilius



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Camping, Dream AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28982412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LufwoodEmilius/pseuds/LufwoodEmilius
Summary: Jeremy and Jean have finished their time with the USC Trojans and now it's time for a bit of rest and relaxation. But Jean has never been on vacation before. So, Jeremy figures what better way to spend some time in the summer than going camping! This fic is for Mixed Tape 2021 and was inspired by Taylor Swift's Peace.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9
Collections: AFTG Mixtape Exchange 2021





	1. Summer Begins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wesawbears](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesawbears/gifts).



[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJuh9zMusqg ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJuh9zMusqg)

  
  


“Alright team! Listen up!” Jeremy said, clapping his hands together. 

It was the end of the most recent Exy season, they had made it to semi-finals and had been kicked out round two by the Palmetto State Foxes for the second year in a row, and now it was time for a little team boosting. The team had gathered in the Court Lounge and were now lounging on the black sofas. Jeremy took a quick scan of the room with his usual smile. 

“As always, we had a great season this year! We made lots of improvements since semi-finals last year. Now that the term has finally come to an end, it's time for a bit of downtime before our new season begins. Some of us will be returning, some of us…” he paused. “Won’t, including myself. But, even though I won’t be coming back, I am leaving you in the very capable hands of Laila Dermott.” 

“The fucking drama queen?” Alvarez asked with an impish smile. 

The team burst into laughter. Laila glared at Alvarez and raised her middle finger in response, making the team burst into even more laughter. As the laughter died, Jeremy wiped tears from his eyes, his smile still plastered across his face. 

“All jokes aside, I believe Laila will make the team proud and, hopefully, lead the team to victory next year. Really show those Foxes who’s boss,” Jeremy joked. 

Of course, the Trojans didn’t really care who won finals. All they ever wanted was a good game against whoever they were up against. This was the reason why the team won the “best sportsmanship” every single year in a row. No one in the Exy community could think of anything mean about the Trojans. Even teams like the Ravens and the Foxes, both known to be tough teams in their own ways, couldn’t bring themselves to bring down the Trojans in any way. 

Jeremy clapped his hands again. “Dismissed team,” he said. 

Members of the team pushed themselves off the couches and began to mingle. Soft conversations of summer plans began to pop up. Laila and Alverez had plans on heading to Mexico for the entire break for a bit of rest and relaxation at Alverez’s grandparents. Alys Vorromanov, one of their most recent recruits, was heading home to Russia during the break to volunteer her time at a local orphanage. Another team member, Tara Naismith, was planning a trip across the country with Steve Domzaski and Lilian Summers. 

There were other conversations to be listened on but Jeremy’s attention had turned to Jean who had remained in his seat. Jean stared silently at his teammates as they talked. Jeremy wandered over and took a seat next to his past teammate. Like him, Jean had been offered a spot, as a Backliner, with the Las Angeles Archangels, which was totally deserved. Jeremy nudged Jean and smiled. 

“So, what are your plans for the break before we start our pro-training?” Jeremy asked. 

Jean shook his head, pulling himself away from his thoughts. “Plans? Break?” He asked. 

“Yeah, like, are you going anywhere?” Jeremy questioned. 

“No, actually, I found an apartment and the Archangels Coach has agreed to let me get started early on training,” Jean admitted. 

“Hold up, you’re spending the break alone and training?” Jeremy cried, his voice filling the room. 

The room fell silent as all eyes turned on them. Jean slouched in his seat and casually crossed his arms across his chest. 

Jean awkwardly cleared his throat. “So what if I’m training?” he said.

“Hasn’t your time with the Trojans taught you anything?” Laila asked, placing a hand on her hip and waving her free hand in the air. “You’re no longer part of the Raven Collective. You no longer share a hivemind with those drones.” 

“It’s all I know,” Jean replied. 

“We’re going to have to fix that, honey,” Laila replied. “You need some colour on that pasty ass skin of yours. Like seriously.” 

“Yeah, great idea,” Jeremy said. He clapped his hands excitedly. “And I have the best idea! Me and you are going to go camping along the coast together while we drive back to my place!” 

“Camping?” Jean asked. 

“Yeah, it’ll be great! I’m going to plan it all Jean. We’re going to have a blast.” Jeremy jumped to his feet and turned to the rest of the Trojans. “Who’s down for helping me plan this bad boy?” 

A resounding cheer came from the room as the team headed out of the lounge. Jean groaned and slouched even further into his seat. This was not going to be fun for him, no matter what Jeremy told him. 

~~

“980, 990, 1000!” Jeremy placed the final money into the envelope and sat back. 

Jeremy was alone in his dorm, the last of his belongings packed away in boxes waiting to be transferred to his new apartment when he returned after the summer. He smiled and stared at the envelope of money on the table. When the team said that they were down for helping him plan Jean’s first camping trip they really came through. Everyone had pitched in roughly forty bucks into the pot in order to give Jean the best camping experience possible. With that money, Jeremy would be able to rent camping equipment for the week as well as pack enough food and booze for them to last. He smiled and pushed himself off his beanbag chair before heading down the hall, knocking on Jean’s dorm room door. 

“Jean! Get your butt out here man!” he called. 

There was a shuffling from the other side as Jeremy heard boxes being shuffled. Soon, the door opened ajar and Jean’s grey eyes staring softly at his teammate. Jeremy held his everlasting smile and casually rested his arm on the wall. 

“So, I’ve gotten the money for our camping trip, enough money to camp in comfort. Let’s head on out, pick up our camping gear, food and booze and head on out,” Jeremy said. 

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Jean replied. “Just give me one minute to grab my stuff.”

He closed the door. Jeremy didn’t have to wait very long. From the other side Jeremy heard the lock sliding across. The door finally fully opened and Jean was standing ready to go. 

“Alright!” Jeremy cried, softly punching Jean in the arm. He led the way to the parking garage in the basement. “So the team is super excited about us going camping. In fact, they’re so excited that they’re the ones who are funding our trip.” 

Jean clasped his hands together and twisted them nervously. No one had ever done anything that nice for him before. He wondered why the Trojans would go out of their way to make sure that enjoyed himself. When he was with Riko, anything related to fun was strictly prohibited unless it was Riko having the fun or it was permitted by the Master. So, the idea of fun outside of the Ravens was a strange concept for him. 

“Hey Jean, I asked you a question,” Jeremy said, nudging him. 

Jean shook his head, breaking himself away from his thoughts. “Hmmm?” He looked to Jeremy and blinked. 

“I asked what you were looking forward to the most about this camping trip? Since, this will be your first one,” he repeated. 

“Oh, uh….” Jean paused. “Swimming, I guess? I’ve never swam in the ocean before so that will be fun,” he replied. 

“What? You’ve never gone swimming in the ocean? Woah! We’ll I think that will be the first thing we do,” Jeremy said. “As for me, I can’t wait to roast marshmallows over the fire.” 

Jean nodded politely. “Sounds delicious,” he said. 

“Oh, marshmallows are the best! Particularly if you burn them. You get this smokey, charred flavour on the outside and then this sweet, gooey aftertaste. It’s awesome!” Jeremy explained excitedly. 

He slipped into the driver’s seat and watched as Jean slipped into the passenger seat beside him. They drove off and made their way through the streets of LA. The first stop they made was to Kit Lender. A large building in the downtown core. The two men slipped out and made their way inside. Jeremy had looked at the equipment ahead of time and knew exactly which one he wanted for the trip. So, instead of browsing through the selections they had, he made his way to the renting counter, placing his arm on top. 

The man behind the counter looked up from his phone and smiled casually. “Hey, wassup? How can I help you today?” he asked. 

“Yeah, my friend and I are going camping starting tomorrow and we want to grab some equipment from you,” Jeremy replied.

“Sounds good. Let me explain some of our top quality kits for you,” the man said. 

“I’ve looked ahead of time at some of your kits. The one we would like is the Deluxe Two Person Camping Kit for seven days,” Jeremy said. 

“Good choice. Our Deluxe Two Person Camping Kit comes with two camping chairs, a black diamond lantern--one of them is a charging station as well--a stove, a table, a cooler, two pillows, two sets of cutlery, a cook and eat set and two headlamps and two sleeping bags,” he explained. 

“Perfect,” Jeremy replied excitedly. 

Jeremy paid in cash while Jean began to carry the equipment to the car. Taking the equipment wasn’t overly hard, what was complicated was trying to find room in Jeremy’s already overly packed car. Even though Jean didn’t have much, except for a duffle bag with the essentials, Jeremy decided to bring a bunch of his belongings home. Including a couple of beanbags and an old lamp. 

Jeremy came out to find Jean trying to stack the camping equipment like tetris blocks. He laughed and took the tent and stuffed it with ease into the back of his car along with the smaller gear. The two sleeping bags and pillows he stuffed between boxes in the back seat. By the time they were finished the car was so stacked with stuff that there was barely enough room to see properly through the rear window. 

“Are you sure that this is safe?” Jean asked. 

“Oh totally, I once packed a quarter of the team into the car and drove us all to one of our games in this car. We’ll be fine,” Jeremy reassured, waving his hand dismissively before slipping into the driver's seat. 

Jean slipped hesitantly into the passengers seat and buckled up. This did not seem safe to him. But he wasn’t about to argue with Jeremy. If Jeremy said that he was fine, then he would be fine. He gripped his seatbelt and took a deep breath as Jeremy drove out of the parking lot. 

“Okay, time for food!” Jeremy cheered. 

“How are we supposed to get food into this car smart guy?” Jean asked. 

“Details,” Jeremy replied. 

Jean glanced at Jeremy, wondering how he could be so relaxed about the whole thing. He opened his mouth to speak but decided to keep quiet. A few minutes later they pulled into the nearest grocery store and headed inside. Jean had no idea what to get so, again, let Jeremy take the lead on it. 

“Okay, we need food to last us roughly a week. Mostly non-perishables or food that can keep for a while. You know like canned fruits and vegetables, pre-made pancake mix, packaged ramen and pasta, bread, eggs. Stuff like that.”

Jean nodded dumbly and followed Jeremy obediently as he made his way around the store. Jeremy casually tossed items into the car, including: apples, potatoes, oranges, canned peaches, canned carrots and corn, pancake mix and bisquick, hot dogs, hot dog buns, canned pasta sauce and spaghetti, instant ramen, bacon and eggs, bread, canned chili. As they walked down the junk food aisle Jeremy tossed into the cart was a large bar of chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows. Jean raised an eyebrow. 

“They’re for s’mores,” Jeremy explained. 

“I don’t think s’mores are on the meal plan,” Jean said. 

“Screw the meal plan Jean,” Jeremy replied. “You’re on summer break!” 

Not abiding by the meal plan, even over the summer, was a new concept for Jean. With the Ravens, and even when he transferred to the Trojans, he always followed the meal plan set out by the coach. Deterring from that was a struggle for him. 

“You simply can’t deter from the meal plan!” Jean cried in horror. 

“We totally can, who’s going to find out?” Jeremy countered.   


Jean opened his mouth to argue but instantly closed it when he found he had nothing to say. Jeremy winked as he turned down the aisle with alcohol, grabbing several packs of beer. When Jean saw the booze, he knew that he would just have to let Jeremy do what he needed to do. He quietly followed Jeremy to the cash and, while Jeremy paid, he packed. When they were done the two returned to the car, Jeremy smiling the whole way. 

“Alright, we’re all ready for an awesome camping trip. Are you pumped?” Jeremy asked. 

“Yeah, totally pumped,” Jean replied. 

“Right on!” Jeremy cried. 


	2. Day 1

Jeremy woke up early the next morning and rushed to get dressed. He pulled on a pair of camouflage shorts and a white tank top. Before leaving the bathroom he squirted gel into his hand and ruffled his blonde curls making them even messier than before. From the kitchen counter he grabbed his keys and wallet and headed for the door. Before leaving, he paused momentarily and glanced at his dorm for the last time. This was the last time he would be seeing it and it was bittersweet. He would miss the Trojans terribly but he knew that he was moving onto other things. 

“Catch you later USC,” he whispered before closing the door and walking the empty hall towards Jean’s room. 

Jeremy knocked once on the door and it opened immediately. Jean stood in the doorway wearing a pair of khaki shorts, a polo shirt and a pair of, what looked like, boating shoes. Jeremy cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you seriously wearing that camping?” Jeremy asked. 

“This is what I wear every day in the summer,” Jean said. “Should I change?” 

Jeremy burst into laughter and shook his head. “No, not at all Jean, you’re fine. Come on,” he replied and motioned for Jean to follow him. 

Jean took his duffle and placed it on his shoulder before following Jeremy down the hall. When they approached the car Jean noticed that Jeremy had stuffed all his personal belongings into the trunk and now all their camping equipment was now neatly packed inside the car. It must have taken Jeremy hours to make everything neat. Before he knew it Jeremy opened the back door and smiled. 

“Throw your stuff into the back and we can get going Mr. Polo Guy,” he said and winked. 

“Right.” Jean slipped his bag onto the only available space on the floor and got into the car. 

Jeremy got in beside him and started the car. Before leaving he connected his phone to his car's stereo system and put on a Summer Mix Tape that he had made the night before. The first song blaring in the car was Alice Cooper’s song School’s Out. 

“Let’s rock this bitch!” Jeremy cried as he drove off. 

Soon they made it onto the freeway. The salty, California air mixed with the Californian sun streamed through the window. The music pounded through the car. 

“So, are you excited about fall practice with the Archangels?” Jeremy asked over the music. 

“I’m excited to be having a fresh start,” Jean said. He tensed and looked guiltily towards Jeremy. “Not that I haven’t gotten that from the Trojans, I have. It’s just that...the Archangels don’t know my past so, it will be a great chance for me to start somewhere new with people.” 

“I get it man, no need to explain yourself,” Jeremy said with his usual smile. “A fresh start will be good. You can really start to have fun with Exy. As for me, I’m taking this as a learning opportunity to improve my skills. I mean, the Trojans took my skills from mediocre to awesome. But I think the Archangels will really help me become amazing,” he bragged. 

Jean listened quietly as the scenery passed. The rest of the trip was spent listening to the radio, Jeremy singing completely off key and Jean staring distantly at the passing ocean. After another hour of driving Jeremy pulled into a secluded parking lot of a nearby beach. Jean sighed with relief, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take Jeremy’s singing. Jeremy smiled at him and nudged Jean playfully. 

“Alright buddy, time for some real bonding time,” he said before jumping out of the car. 

Jean followed in silence and began to help Jeremy carry the equipment to the beach. As they carried everything to their camping site, Jean couldn’t help but notice the beautiful scenery. The ocean was a beautiful aquamarine colour. In contrast, the sand was a starking white colour. Between the beach and the parking lot, the area was covered in beautiful palm trees, their frauns stretching outwards, covering the ground in a gentle green colour. 

Jean paused momentarily at the car and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the ocean gently lapping at the shore, mixed with a gentle breeze. He took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the ocean salt. Everything was so tranquil here. And, for the first time, he felt relaxed. 

“Hey, Jean,” Jeremy cried. 

Jean opened his eyes and shook his head, focusing now on Jeremy. “Yes?” 

“Could you grab the last cooler and meet me at the beach, we still need to set up our site,” he said. 

“Oh, of course,” Jean replied and grabbed the last cooler. 

He quickly followed Jeremy back to the beach and watched Jeremy drop his cooler next to the stove. Jean placed his own cooler next to Jeremy’s and stretched his arms. Jeremy turned and placed his hands on his hips. 

“Alright, let’s get set up. I’ll go and set up our stove and get our fire pit ready. Could you handle the tent?” Jeremy said. 

Jean glanced nervously at the tent. He had never set up a tent before, but didn’t want to look bad in front of Jeremy, so nodded. “Yeah sure, I can do that.” 

“Great,” Jeremy replied and smiled.

Jeremy turned his back to Jean and grabbed the stove. Meanwhile, Jean hesitantly took the tent and found somewhere to set it up. He carefully removed it from the bag and spread it out. The tent was huge. From the bag Jean pulled out the instructions and patiently began to scan the instructions. First, he needed to build the poles. He looked down and found several long, black rods and began to attach them together. He nodded, that wasn’t too hard. Next, he needed to slide the poles through the tent via a small fabric tunnel. They were easy to find on the tent and the poles slid through with ease. He was doing well so far. Then, he had to pin the poles down and the tent would be finished. He grabbed a set of small tent nails and a hammer and began to try and nail the tent down. 

He managed to get three done before one of them sprung up. He returned and nailed it into place, only to find another popping up. He returned to the other. He stretched the pole, but had pulled it too hard. The pole separated from the other rods and collapsed, making one side of the tent droop. He groaned and went to grab the loose poles. As he reached, the other tent poles came loose and the tent fell to the ground. He cried out in frustration just as Jeremy walked over. 

“What happened to the tent?” He asked. 

“Putain d'enfer!” Jean cried. 

Jeremy walked over and blinked. “Have you ever been camping?” 

“No,” Jean said. 

“What? How come?” Jeremy asked, shocked. 

“I was stuck living in the Raven’s Nest,” Jean replied. 

“Right...unconventional childhood,” Jeremy said and picked up the tent. He looked gently at Jean, who only stared down angrily at the tent, tears springing in Jean's eyes. He smiled and placed a hand on Jean’s shoulder. “Let’s do this together, shall we?” 

Jean nodded. “Right…” 

With ease, Jeremy fixed the pole that had come apart and held it down. “Okay Jean, pin it down for me.” 

Jean grabbed the hammer and pinned it down. They went around the tent as a team and managed to get the remainder of the tent poles down without a problem. Jeremy took a step back to inspect their work with a grin. 

“Alright, so we’re set up,” Jeremy said. 

Without hesitation Jeremy kicked off his sandals and began to pull off his shirt as he casually meandered towards the car. Jean watched with curiosity as Jeremy continued to undress. Jeremy was just so good looking, his body tanned from spending time scrimmaging in the sun shirtless. Jean felt a small blush spread across his face as he watched Jeremy change into his swim trunks. Jeremy turned. 

“Hey Jean, you joining me for a swim?” Jeremy asked. 

Jean shook his head from his thoughts and stared at Jeremy. “Oh, yeah, I’m coming.” 

He walked to the car and pulled out his own swim trunks before slipping his clothes off and placing them neatly back into his bag. Jean soon joined Jeremy and they made their way to the water. They paused momentarily and watched as the water brushed against their feet. Jean was not prepared for the bitter cold of the water and tensed. Jeremy laughed heartily. 

“Not expecting that, were you?” Jeremy chuckled. 

“Shut up,” Jean mumbled. 

Carefully, the two men waded into the water. It was clear that Jeremy was more accustomed to the chilliness of the ocean. When he was waist deep in the water, he turned and found that Jean had barely gone up to his knees. 

“You okay there?” Jeremy asked. 

“Yes,” Jean replied. 

“You know, it’s better if you just get it over with and not think about it. You’ll find that if you do that your body gets adjusted to the water faster,” Jeremy explained. 

“If you say so,” Jean replied. 

He took a deep breath and rushed into the water before dunking his body into the water. When he came up, he took another deep breath and clasped his arms over his body, shaking uncontrollably. Jeremy smiled and patted Jean on the shoulder. 

“That’s the spirit,” Jeremy said. 

Jean looked grumpily over to Jeremy, his eyes narrowed. Jeremy only laughed before diving into the water himself. As the minutes passed, Jean’s body slowly became adjusted to the temperature of the water and soon joined Jeremy for a swim. The two swam into the early afternoon until their bodies grew too cold to ignore, which was probably a good thing seeing that they were slowly growing hungry. They made their way back onto the beach and wrapped towels around their shoulders while scavenging in their coolers for something to eat. They settled for making simple ham and cheese sandwiches and a handful of chips. When lunch had been made, they settled on their two camp chairs and stared out into the ocean.

Once lunch was over, they tossed their empty plates into a small bin to wash later. They dressed back into their clothes, all the while, yawning and stretching, not realizing just how tired they were. Without speaking, the two men slipped into the tent with their sleeping bags and small mattresses and fell asleep.

They awoke several hours later. Jean was the first to awake. Sleepily he stared up at the ceiling, warm sunset light filtered through the fabric bathing Jean in light green. It took him several minutes to orient himself before remembering that he was in a tent beside Jeremy. He glanced at Jeremy briefly who was just waking up himself. When Jeremy opened his eyes, he groaned and sat up. 

“How long were we out?” Jeremy asked. 

“A few hours,” Jean replied, sitting up. 

“Wow, we were tired bruh,” Jeremy said. “And now, I’m starving. How about pasta for dinner?” He asked, crawling to the door. 

“Sounds good,” Jean replied, joining Jeremy outside of their tent. 

They divided up the jobs. While Jeremy made the pasta sauce it was up to Jean to boil the water for the pasta and pour them each a beer. Once the pasta sauce was made and beers were poured, the two of them worked together to get a fire started while they waited for the water to boil. Soon, the crackling of the fire was heard and their water was now boiling nicely. 

It didn’t take long for their meal to finally be ready. With pasta in their laps and beers sitting on small camping tables next to them they dug into their meal. For several minutes they were silent, too focused on eating. Jeremy only cleared his throat once half his plate had been demolished. 

“So, you really haven’t been camping?” Jeremy asked. 

Jean paused in his eating and stared down at his plate. Slowly, he placed his fork down and cleared his throat. “No,” he admitted. 

There was silence. Jeremy cleared his throat again. “Why?” he inquired. 

Jean bit his lip and looked away. It was all rather complicated. Because he grew up in the Raven’s Nest training to be an Exy star, there wasn’t much room for vacation time. Unless it was explicitly approved by Riko and then the Master. So, time away from the Raven hivemind was infrequent. Jean sighed. 

“I rather not talk about it,” Jean said eventually. 

“Oh, okay, that’s fine,” Jeremy replied. 

There was another awkward silence between them again. The only sound came from the crackling of the fire and the lapping of the ocean. They continued eating, all the while, Jeremy looking guiltily at Jean. 


	3. Day 2

Jeremy and Jean had stayed up late the previous night. The two had decided to take a silent stroll along the beach, beers in hand. So, naturally, they slept in the next morning. Even then Jean was the first to wake up. The morning light filtered through the tent and gently splashed on his face. He yawned and stretched before sensing movement beside him. Jeremy groaned and rolled onto his back, smacking his face with his hands. 

“I regret everything about last night,” he groaned. 

Jean chuckled. “I told you not to have that fourth beer,” he commented. “Come on, you’ll feel better with breakfast and a couple of Aspirin.” 

The two slipped out of the tent. While Jeremy poked around his bag for Aspirin, Jean made a simple breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs and coffee. They sat in silence, demolishing breakfast in minutes before slowly nursing their coffee. They looked out at the ocean. It was calm today, perfect for swimming. And, as it was already grotesquely hot, they figured that it would be nice to cool off before continuing with their day. 

After finishing their coffee and washing the dishes from breakfast, they quickly changed into their swim trunks. The water was enjoyably cold. Jeremy gave a satisfied sigh and flopped back into the water, floating peacefully. Meanwhile, Jeremy stood silently across from him, arms floating casually above the surface. After moments of silence, Jeremy stood again and looked at Jean. 

“Hey Jean...ummm...about last night, I’m really sorry about what I said last night. I wasn’t thinking,” he said. 

Jean shrugged. “It’s fine Jeremy. I know that your heart was in the right place,” he replied. 

Jeremy smiled. “Thanks buddy!” 

“What are friends for?” Jean asked. 

After spending the rest of the morning going in and out of the water, Jean and Jeremy figured that it was time for them to head off to their next destination. So, they hurriedly changed--Jeremy wearing his usual tank top, shorts and flip flops, while Jean sported a casual shirt and khaki shorts and sandals--before beginning to pack. Together, they packed everything and neatly stacked everything back into the car. Before leaving, they collected the remainders of their garbage and poured water over their fire to prevent any remaining sparks from flying. It was only then that they were ready to leave.

Once again, Jeremy turned on their summer playlist and sang horribly off tune while Jean tapped his hand casually on his knee to the beat. The two only spent a couple hours on the road before veering off and finding a second beach to camp for the day. 

This beach was smaller than the previous one but still was secluded from the rest of the beach and was mostly made up of palm trees and bushes. Ahead of them, the ocean gently lapped at the shore. 

“Right, let’s get unpacking,” Jeremy said enthusiastically. 

Unlike the day before, it didn’t take them long to unpack everything and set up camp. Together, Jean and Jeremy set up the tent and placed their mats and sleeping bags inside. After that, Jean was responsible for setting up the stove and making them a light lunch while Jeremy set up the tables, chairs and fire pit. When everything was done they finally took a seat to enjoy lunch. Jeremy smiled as he watched the ocean. 

“You know, I’m the only son in my family. I have three sisters, two of them older than me and one younger. And they would often gang up on me and put me in embarrassing situations,” Jeremy said casually. 

“I would have liked to see that,” Jean snorted.

“My parents probably would show you some of the pictures that they took of those moments too,” Jeremy replied with a laugh. “Still, because I was the only son, my parents figured that I needed time away from all those girls in the house. So, every summer, my dad used to take me camping for a week at one of the local camping parks. It was great. He would grab all our gear from the basement and put it in the car, we would always go grocery shopping together and then we would wake up early and head out the door. I really appreciated the one-on-one bonding time I got with my dad.” 

Jean felt a twinge of jealousy as Jeremy told him about his annual camping trip with his father. The closest thing he ever got to anything like that were the trips to the banquets with the Raven’s. Riko and the Master never took him on vacation with them. Hell, he didn’t even remember Riko or the Master taking a vacation themselves. He took a deep breath and gulped back his envy. 

“That sounds like a lot of fun. Your family sounds amazing,” Jean said finally. 

“Oh they are. And I have to say that we genuinely love each other,” Jeremy replied. “And they’re going to love you too Jean. I’ve said nothing but nice things about you to them.” 

Jean paused from eating and blushed profusely. Jeremy talked about him to his family? That was shocking. 

“I...don’t know what to say Jeremy,” he said. 

“Of course I’m going to tell them about my best friend,” Jeremy replied. 

Best friend. Jean was Jeremy’s best friend. He thought that was the highest honour to hold, particularly since Jeremy and Jean had only been on the Trojans together for a couple of years. He smiled. 

~~

The evening finally came. And after spending the afternoon exploring the beach and making a dinner of hamburgers and fries they were exhausted. They crawled tiredly into bed and Jean was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. 

_ He awoke a few minutes later, but he realized that he was not in his sleeping bag. Instead, he was in his childhood home in Marseille. And he was no longer in his mid-twenties, instead he was aged ten. He blinked in confusion and slipped out of bed. He wandered down towards the kitchen where he could smell breakfast cooking. As he entered, his parents turned and smiled at him.  _

_ “Good morning, Jean,” his mother said. “Breakfast is almost ready.”  _

_ He took a seat across from his father.  _

_ “Are you ready for our big camping trip?” his father asked. _

_ “Camping trip?” Jean asked.  _

_ “Don’t tell me that you forgot about our camping trip Jean. The one to Le Ranolien,” his father replied.  _

_ Jean didn’t remember planning a camping trip with his father. But he didn’t want to look like a fool either. So, he just smiled and nodded.  _

_ “Of course I remember. I’m really looking forward to it dad,” he said,  _

_ The word ‘dad’ felt foregin in his mouth since his parents had sold him to the Moriyama’s to pay off a debt they had. Still, it was nice to actually say it.  _

_ His father reached over and placed a hand on Jean’s head. At first, Jean winced at the touch, unsure of his father’s actions. When his father merely stroked his head fondly, Jean relaxed and smiled.  _

_ Breakfast was finally served: bacon, eggs and toast. Jean smiled at his mother before tucking into the meal, not realizing just how hungry he really was. He demolished his breakfast in minutes. His mother smiled proudly and kissed his cheek while she took the plate. Meanwhile, his father got to his feet. _

_ “Alright, let’s get on the road Jean,” he said.  _

_ “What but I’m not-” He paused and looked down.  _

_ He was, of course, fully dressed in a blue t-shirt, khaki shorts and sandals. But Jean hadn’t gotten dressed before coming down. His father stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder.  _

_ “Are you coming Jean?” he called.  _

_ Jean didn’t want to miss the opportunity to go on a trip with his father. So, he jumped up and ran for the door, joining his father and they both headed for the car.  _


	4. Day 3

Jean woke up to the sounds of someone making something. Just how long had he slept? He yawned and stretched before slipping out of the tent. Jeremy was kneeling beside the stove cooking eggs and bacon. Jean’s stomach growled. 

“Smells delicious,” Jean said. 

Jeremy turned and smiled. “Thanks man,” he replied and returned to cooking. “Coffee’s on one of the coolers,” he added. 

Jean nodded in response and poured himself his coffee before taking a seat on one of the camping chairs. He stretched out his legs and watched the ocean. He listened to the waves roll onto the shore mix with the sound of the wind making the branches of the trees brush together. As he enjoyed the sounds of nature, his mind drifted back to his dream. In his dream, he had parents who actually cared about him. He actually was  _ loved _ . A small smile spread across his face at the thought. 

Minutes later Jeremy placed breakfast on the small camping table in front of Jean. “Order up,” Jeremy said. 

Jean shook his head, pulling himself away from his thoughts. “Thanks Jeremy,” he replied. 

“What’s on your mind, man?” Jeremy asked, taking a seat himself. 

“Oh, I just had a really great dream,” Jean said with a hint of a smile. 

“Those are always the best,” Jeremy said, scooping a piece of egg into his mouth. “What was it about?” 

“A camping trip, actually,” Jean explained. 

“Wow! That dream is right on the ball, isn’t it?” Jeremy laughed. 

Jean nodded silently and continued to eat breakfast. Jeremy continued to smile as he continued to eat his own breakfast. The two sat in silence for a bit as they finished their meal. When they were done they slipped their dirty dishes into their washing basin to clean later. Jeremy crossed his arms and leaned on a nearby tree. 

“So, I was thinking that we could stay here for a couple of days. I mean, I’m in no rush to get home and this is a beautiful beach. What do you think?” he asked. 

“Sounds like a great idea,” Jean replied. 

“Excellent. Now, here’s what I think the game plan should be,” he began. “We go for a quick swim and then we head into the nearest town and do some exploring,” he finished. 

Jean had no problem with that, so nodded in agreement. Jeremy patted his shoulder and rushed off to change into his swim trunks. Jean followed silently. It didn’t take long for them to change and storm the water. They both flopped back into the water and resurfaced laughing. Jean remained on his back, staring up at the cloudless sky, while Jeremy swam out further into the water. Jeremy now regretted not bringing swimming goggles so he could explore what was below the water's surface. All well, it was too late for that now. 

The two didn’t spend much time in the water. When they felt they had enough they swam back to shore and dressed. They slipped into the car and began their journey into town. It didn’t take very long. The closest town was called Oxnard and was fairly close to their camping site.

As they drove into Oxnard, the first thing they noticed was all the houses were on small platforms stretching out into the ocean, all of them were connected to the mainland with small bridges. These small island-like areas consisted of brightly coloured houses. In amongst the buildings were tall palm trees that blew in the wind. There was a separate section of the city that was on the mainland that consisted of shops: restaurants, clothing stores, recreation stores, bookstores. It was really beautiful.

Jeremy easily found parking in the downtown area and slipped out of the car with Jean following close behind. The two quietly made their way down the street and slipped into the crowd. Jeremy looked to Jean. 

“When my dad and I went camping together, we would always make one trip into the city,” Jeremy said casually. “We would always poke around the stores, we wouldn’t buy anything but it was fun to just window shop. Then we would grab lunch at one of the local restaurants where we would get the special. After lunch we would always pick up an ice cream. I would always get some crazy flavour like, Boo Boo Bubble or Cotton Candy Cheesecake. My dad would  _ always  _ get Vanilla.” Jeremy smiled fondly at the memory. 

Jean smiled. “That sounds awesome,” Jean said. 

The only times that he remembered ever eating out and having ice cream was whenever the Ravens were at the Spring Banquets. Whenever they were at the Ravens Nest they were always on a strict, high protein, diet. And even when he had joined the Trojans he stuck with the Ravens eating plan, even when all the other Trojans were enjoying themselves. 

“Hey Jean,” Jeremy said. 

Jean shook his head and looked at Jeremy. “Hmmm?” 

“You have that distant look again, is everything okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jean replied. 

“Excellent, cause I’m taking you WINDOW SHOPPING!” Jeremy cried. 

He eagerly took Jean’s arm and hurriedly led him down the street like an excited child at Christmas. Jean couldn’t help but chuckle. 

The two spent the rest of the morning poking around the local stores. Most of them were cheap souvenir shops that sold items like keychains in the shape of California, bad hats with the city's name across the front, religious icons, stuffed toys of bears, eagles, whales and fish. It was pretty awful. But there were the occasional gems. Jean was particularly interested in an old bookstore and was able to find a few copies of Arséne Lupin books. Jeremy, on the other hand, dragged Jean to one of the outlet malls where he was able to pick up even more clothes and even a bottle of cologne. When they finally stopped, Jeremy collapsed on a nearby bench with his purchases. 

“Man, all this shopping has made me hungry!” he cried. 

“I could go for a bit of lunch myself,” Jean added. 

“Awesome! I saw this amazing restaurant while you were in the bookstore called Cabo Seafood Grill and Cantina. Looks like they have some amazing seafood dishes,” Jeremy said enthusiastically. 

“Sounds good, lead the way Jeremy,” Jean replied. 

It didn’t take long to return to where they were earlier that day. With ease, Jeremy found Cabo Seafood Grill and Cantina. They were given a table and menus. They didn’t need long to look at the menu. Jeremy ordered the Camarones Empanizados with a side of beer, while Jean ordered the Camarones A La Plancha and a glass of water. 

Their meals soon came and they tucked in. As they ate, Jeremy continued to discuss his excitement for the upcoming season. Especially with the Archangels. Jean remained silent throughout the conversation, watching Jeremy thoughtfully. He smiled at the thought that Jeremy was so excited about the new team. He wasn’t quite there yet. Of course, he was excited to start fresh. But he was still unsure what his fellow teammates were like and so was hesitant to feel anything more than a slight thrill. 

When they were done, the two split the bill and headed back out onto the street. Jeremy patted his stomach. 

“That was so good,” Jeremy said. “I have just enough room for ice cream before heading back to camp.” 

“Ice cream?” Jean questioned. 

“Yes, we are getting ice cream sir!” Jeremy cried and, again, took Jean’s arm, dragging him down the street. 

For such a short man, Jeremy was unusually strong. Jean was surprised that the 5’7’’ man could drag the 6’5’’ man down the two blocks to the closest ice cream parlour. The shop was small and the front was mostly windows so that people could look at the ice cream from the street. They stepped inside and approached the counter where there were rows upon rows of ice cream. Jeremy leaned forward, reading the labels carefully. Jean only glanced briefly. He wasn’t really sure what to order, so he probably would just get something simple. When Jeremy was satisfied with his choice he approached the front and smiled at the server. 

“What can I get for you today, sir?” she asked, sweetly. 

“I would love to try the Vietnamese Coffee with frosted almonds,” he replied. 

“Of course, that’s a great choice sir,” she said and dashed to get his order.    
  
It didn’t take long for Jeremy to get his order and pay. Jean walked to the server and stood awkwardly at the front. The server smiled again and looked up at him. 

“And what can I get today for you today, sir?” she asked. 

“Uh...chocolate,” Jean replied. 

“What? Are you serious?” Jeremy asked, shocked. “You’re so boring!” 

Jean shot him a deathly glance as the server went off to get his ice cream. When the server returned, he paid for his ice cream and they left. They slowly meandered down the street, taking their time to return to the car. Silent sounds of traffic, the only sound accompanying them. By the time they arrived at the car, they had finished their frozen treats. 

“Alright, shall we head back?” Jeremy asked. 

Jean gave Jeremy a satisfied grin and nodded. “Yes.” 

~~

_ Jean awoke beside his father in their three person tent and smiled. They had already spent a couple days camping. And today was the day that they were going to head into town. His father had promised him a treat. He got up excitedly and shook his father awake. His father awoke and looked up at Jean, gently placing a hand on the side of his head.  _

_ “Come on papa, let’s go!” Jean cried, pulling his father towards the tent door.  _

_ “Alright, alright, Jean, I’m coming,” his father replied.  _

_ They made their way out of the tent, only to find that they had somehow gotten into their clothes. After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, they made their way to a small town near their campsite. The town was definitely different from the city that Jean was used too. Small, wooden, cottages speckled the streets. There was only a handful of stores, including a bookstore, a souvenir shop, a pub and an ice cream shop. Jean pressed his face against the window and stared at the streets. His father parked the car.  _

_ “Come on Jean, time for a little bit of fun,” he said and winked.  _

_ Jean hopped out of the car and was joined by his father. They spent the day poking around the shops. Jean laughing at the corny souvenirs in the window. He particularly thought the miniature Eiffel Tower keychain was funny. He was almost tempted to ask his father to let him buy it. But he knew that it wasn’t worth buying. They made their way down the street and poked in the bookstore where he found himself a copy of Le Petit Prince. _

_ They spent the rest of the morning wandering the city until they got hungry. At noon, Jean’s stomach growled loudly. His father patted Jean’s head and led him into the only pub in town. They were given menus just as they sat down and glanced at them for a few minutes before ordering. His father ordered a burger with fries and a beer, while Jean ordered sausage and french fries with a soda.  _

_ Just as the menus were taken away, their meals appeared. Jean’s eyes widened as he looked at his meal. There was a plate full of fries and on top were sausages and eggs in the shape of octopuses. He smiled and dove into his meal. His father watched him eat with a smile.  _

_ “How is it Jean?” he asked.  _

_ “Amazing papa!” Jean replied. “Thank you!” _

_ The two took their time with their meals. His father didn’t speak much as they ate, instead he enjoyed listening to Jean talk about Exy and school. On occasion, he would ask Jean questions. When they were finished their meal Jean sat back and finished his refill of soda as his father signalled for their waitress. He paid and motioned for Jean to follow him out.  _

_ “Papa…” Jean began.  _

_ “Yes Jean?” his father replied.  _

_ “Is there still going to be a surprise?” Jean asked.  _

_ “Of course mon petit chou,” his father said and placed a hand on his head.  _

_ From his pocket his father pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around his eyes. He felt his father’s hand slip into his and Jean was slowly led down the street. Where were they going? The walk felt like it was taking forever. But soon, they stopped and Jean felt his father leave him. His heart raced and he took in a sharp breath. There was muffled talking in the distance. Was he going to be left behind? Minutes past like hours. He soon felt someone take his shoulder and he was taken somewhere else.  _

_ “Sit Jean,” came his father’s voice.  _

_ Jean obediently sat and placed his hands in his lap and squeezed his pants tightly. Something was placed on a table. Soon, the handkerchief was taken off his eyes. In front of him were two sundaes. Two scoops of ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate fudge syrup and a cherry on top. Jean smiled widely. Ice cream was a rare treat for him back at home. His mother insisted that it was too much sugar. So, having a sundae all to himself was special.  _

_ “Thank you papa! So much!” Jean cried.  _

_ “You’re welcome Jean,” his father replied.  _

_ Every instinct was telling Jean to just dive into his dessert. But, he needed to savour this. So, he took his spoon and ate slowly. His father watched him in silence for a few minutes before starting on his own sundae. The two ate in silence, listening to the sounds of nature. When they were done they collected their empty trays and tossed them into the garbage.  _

_ As they made their way back to the car, Jean reached up and took his father’s hand again. His father squeezed Jean’s hand gently in return.  _

_ “Thank you papa,” Jean said.  _

_ “Always,” his father replied.  _


	5. Day 4

Jean woke up to the sound of rain pounding on the tent. Next to him, Jeremy was sitting up, his sleeping bag resting at waist height. Jean shuffled in his sleeping bag and Jeremy looked over. 

“Well, it seems that today will be a “stay in our tent” kind of day,” Jeremy chuckled. “But first, breakfast.” 

Jean raised an eyebrow quizzically. “And how, pray tell, are we going to do that?” he asked. 

“Go outside and run like hell,” Jeremy replied as he crawled to the tent door. “Okay, on the count of three. One...two...THREE!” 

Jeremy opened the door and dashed outside. Jean, having a sense of self-preservation, remained in the comfort of the tent. Instead, enjoying watching Jeremy as he dashed between the coolers to grab what was needed for breakfast. Jean couldn’t help but laugh as his teammate called out swears and curses, in English and French. When Jeremy returned, he was completely soaked through. He looked menacingly at Jean, which wasn’t as scary as Jeremy thought. Jean just smiled and looked down at what he had brought. 

“Bread, peanut butter and...jam?” Jean said. 

“It was all that I could get, no thanks to  _ you  _ Jean,” Jeremy replied, pulling off his wet clothes and tossing them aside. 

“If you wanted to run around in the rain like an idiot fine. But I wasn’t about to get wet myself,” Jean said, as he began to make himself breakfast. 

Jeremy stuck out his tongue and grabbed the bag of bread. In silence, the two slabbed together two sandwiches each. Jeremy rolled onto his stomach as he ate, while Jean laid on his back. They remained silent as they ate, instead, enjoying the sounds of the rain pounding on their tent. The sound of the ocean crashed onto the beach, the wind howling through the trees. 

Jeremy rested his head on his pillow and smiled casually. “So, there were times when my dad and I would have to stay in our tent like this because of the rain,” he said. 

Jean paused in eating and turned his head towards Jeremy. “That must have been boring. What did you do?” he asked. 

“Play cards, tell jokes, read books, listen to music,” Jeremy said casually. “But I think our favourite thing was to tell scary stories.” 

“Scary stories? Like...ghosts and stuff?” Jean inquired. 

“Yeah, it was so much fun. We would have a contest to see who tell the scariest story, and the loser had to go out into the rain to get the next meal,” Jeremy explained. “Wanna try?” A smile spread across Jeremy’s face. 

“Uh...I don’t know, I’m not really a good storyteller,” Jean said. 

“Come on,  _ pleeeeeease _ ?” Jeremy begged. 

Jeremy pouted and intentionally made the “puppy” eyes at Jean. He tried looking away but he knew that Jeremy was still staring at him with  _ that face _ . The fact that made the entire Trojan’s team weak. He growled and rubbed a hand over his face. There was no fighting it. Jeremy was just going to get his way. 

“Fine, we can do it,” Jean replied. 

“Yes!” Jeremy cried. 

“But you’re going first,” Jean added. 

“Done deal buddy,” Jeremy said. 

Jeremy ate his remaining bits of his sandwich in two bites and drowned it with water from his canteen. He sat up, crossed his legs and grabbed his flashlight, shining it under his face. He cleared his throat and smiled. 

“I am going to tell you the story of a haunted theatre in Auburn, Illinois,” he said spookily. “Long ago, a theatre called The R Theatre, had to be shut due to lack of funding from the city. For years it sat abandoned in the middle of the city and it got to the point where the building was on the verge of collapse. Several years later, a man named Robbin Terry purchased the theatre to fix it up. As he was doing this, he began to experience strange happenings, like voices in the empty hallways and footsteps going from one room to the next. Scared of what was going on, Robbin brought in a psychic, who told him that a person named John Wayne was haunting the building and that she kept seeing images of a clown. Another psychic came in and claimed to have heard laughter like a maniac, cackling kind of laugh,” Jeremy began. 

Jean tensed and leaned in as Jeremy continued his story. “Robbin soon came into the possession of a beautiful, wooden, armoir. The piece of furniture was once owned by the attorney of the infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gracy, a man who had preyed upon young men and boys while dressed as his alter-ego, a clown named Pogo. When Gracy was on death row, he painted and some of these sinister portraits were kept in the wooden armoire.” 

“With the armoire in the possession of the theatre, visitors have continued to experience bizarre happenings: a bright light appearing in a blacked-out room, shadows moving throught the hallways. Even a paranormal investigator noted a voice coming through a spirit box saying that someone named John was coming for everyone “from hell.”” Jeremy laughed maniacally and leaned back. 

Jean had to admit that the beginning of the story was pretty good. But the ending was lame. Riko was scarier than that story. He shook his head and leaned on his hands casually. 

“Gotta try harder than that to scare me Jeremy,” Jean said. 

“Aw man, I thought I had you with that one,” Jeremy laughed. “Now, it’s your turn.” 

Jean took a deep breath. “Okay, so, when we were growing up, Riko, Kevin and I used to tell each other scary stories to see which one of us was the braver of the three. This was one that I looked up and told them. This story is called “Yeeeeeeeees?”” Jean cleared his throat and took the flashlight from Jeremy, copying what he did. “This story is about a boy named William. When William was a child his family moved to a big old two-floor house, with big empty rooms and creaking floorboard. Both his parents worked so he often was alone when he came home from school. One early evening when he came home the house was still dark,” he began. 

“He called out “Mom?” and heard her sing song voice say. “Yeeeees?” from upstairs. He called her again and climbed the stairs to see which room she was in and again he got the same answer. “Yeeeees?” The family was decorating at the time, and he didn’t know his way around the maze of rooms but she was in one of the far ones down the hall. He felt a bit uneasy but figured that was only natural, so he rushed forward to see his mom, knowing that just by seeing her that he would feel calm.” 

“Just as he reached for the handle of the door to him himself into the room, he heard the front door downstairs open and his mother call “Sweetie, are you home?” in her usual cheery voice. He jumped back, startled and ran downstairs to her, but the door to the room slowly opened a crack. For a brief moment, he saw something strange in there, staring at him.” 

At that moment, there was a loud crack as thunder boomed overhead. Jeremy jumped and pressed a hand to his chest, his heart beating fast. He took several calming breaths and looked to Jean. 

“Man, that was fucking scary,” Jeremy said. “And the thunder made it worse.” 

Jean smirked. “Too scared to continue Jeremy?” he asked. 

“Not at all Jean,” replied Jeremy and winked. 

The two spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon telling each other scary stories. Each more horrifying than the last. When they got hungry, they were too lazy to venture out into the rain again so they made themselves peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and made themselves comfortable on their camping mats.

When they had run out of scary stories to tell they fell back onto their mats and stared up at the ceiling. Jean rested his hand on his stomach, while Jeremy placed both his hands behind his head. The minutes silently went by. The rain still pelting on their tent, thunder still rumbling, the wind still moaning. Jeremy puffed out his cheeks and looked over to Jean. 

“Hey, do you maybe want to start a new tradition?” he asked. 

Jean raised an eyebrow questioningly. “What were you thinking?” he asked. 

Jeremy smiled and motioned towards the tent door. Jean blinked confusedly. Again, Jeremy motioned towards the door, still with no luck. 

Jeremy shook his head and sat up. “Outside Jean! I was going to suggest that we go out and have some fun in the rain!” 

“Are you serious?” Jean asked. 

“Of course I’m serious, I think it would be fun. Now come on.”

Without another word, Jeremy grabbed Jean’s arm and dragged him out of the tent. Again, Jean was surprised by the sheer strength of Jeremy. Once the rain hit Jean’s body, he flinched. He had not expected such a cold rain at this time of year. Beside him, Jeremy dashed out into the rain and laughed loudly. When Jeremy noticed that Jean had still not joined him, he rolled his eyes and grabbed Jean by the wrist and ran out into the rain with him. 

A smile spread across Jean’s face as Jeremy led him around their campsite. The rain soaked their bodies, wet sand caked their feet, wind blew their hair into their faces. Jeremy laughed again and, this time, Jean couldn’t help but laugh with him. He tilted his head towards the rain and closed his eyes momentarily. Soon, he felt arms wrapped around his waist and lift him off the ground. He looked down to find Jeremy picking him up. Jeremy stumbled briefly before completely collapsing onto the ground. There was a moment of silence before the two of them burst into more fits of laughter. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon outside in the rain until their bodies were nearly numb from the cold. Because it was too wet to cook, they decided that it would probably be best if they just ate food that didn’t require any cooking. So, while Jeremy fished for food in their cooler, Jean grabbed dry clothes for them both from their bags. 

Once in the safety of their tent they dried off, changed and dined on a meal of cold hot dogs and three-bean salad. 

~~

_ Jean awoke to the sound of thunder booming outside of the tent. He jolted awake and pulled his sleeping bag over his head. He felt his father place a hand on him.  _

_ “Jean, everything will be alright, I’m here,” his father whispered.  _

_ Jean lowered his sleeping bag and looked at his father. He smiled in return and scooped Jean into his arms, holding him close, his father’s hand gently patting his back. They remained close for several minutes before Jean’s stomach growled. His father chuckled.  _

_ “Stay here, I’ll go grab us some breakfast,” he said.  _

_ His father placed Jean back on his sleeping mat and soon disappeared into the rain. Jean waited anxiously for his father to return, his hands gripping the blanket. His father soon returned with a small box full of pastries. Jean smiled widely as his father took a seat and offered him one. He immediately took a croissant. His father took a danish and sat back. The two ate in silence for several minutes. Jean curled up next to his father as they listened to the rain pound on their tent.  _

_ His father smiled. “Hey Jean, I have an idea,” he said.  _

_ Jean glanced up at his father, his breakfast dangling from his mouth. “What?” he asked with his mouth full.  _

_ “Well, since it’s so dark and spooky outside, I was thinking that we could tell each other ghost stories,” his father explained.  _

_ Jean tensed and shook his head. “But papa, they’re so scary,” he whispered.  _

_ “Don’t worry Jean, I’ll be right here to scare any ghouls and ghosts away,” his father replied.  _

_ “Pinky promise?” Jean asked, stretching out his pinky.  _

_ “Pinky promise,” he replied with a smile.  _

_ Jean smiled and pulled his sleeping bag into his lap. His father reached over and grabbed the flashlight, shining it under his face so that it was partially bathed in shadow. He smiled evilly. Already, Jean slouched his shoulders and pulled his blanket up to his chin. He could feel his heart pound in his chest and his breath coming in short gasps.  _

_ “This is the story of The Hook” his father rasped. “One night, a teenage boy and his girlfriend headed to their local lover’s lane so that they could spend some time alone together. The girl was a little bit afraid because on that day, she’d heard over the radio of a man who had been released from a local insane asylum, known as the Hook. His hand had been mangled in an accident and he’d had it replaced with a hook, because there were no prosthetics available at the time. The night was dark and the teenagers cuddled up together. Another announcement was made over the radio to warn people about the Hook and to stay vigilant and the young girl pulled away from the boy, scared, asking him if they could go home. Just then, the car started to shake and the doors rattled. The teens peered outside but couldn’t see anyone outside. The car shook vigorously again once more and the boy decided it was time to leave and so they sped away. On the way home from their date, the couple stopped off at a late night diner for some coffee and chicken. Once they got out of the car, what did they see? Long scratches down the sides of the car, and a hook, stuck in the handle of the car door. BOO!”  _

**** _ His father let out a menacing laugh just as a loud crack of thunder rumbled overhead.  _ _ Jean screamed and covered his head with his sleeping bag. He curled up and began to cry. His father gasped and scooped Jean into his arms, sleeping bag and all. He gently patted Jean’s back and showered him with kisses.  _

_ “Everything’s okay Jean, I’m here,” his father whispered and held him gently. “That was a bit too scary for our very first ghost story, wasn’t it?” he asked.  _

_ Jean nodded and buried his face into his father’s chest.  _

_ “Well, how about we tell some stories that are a bit less scary,” he said. “Like…” his father paused and pursed his lips, thinking. “The Ghost with the Bloody Finger.”  _

_ “That sounds just as scary as the first one,” Jean said with a pout.  _

_ “No, it’s actually going to be really funny. Just let me tell it,” his father replied.  _

_ “In a small town not far from here, there was an old abandoned house. No one ever went near it because everyone said that it was haunted.” _

_ “One day, a bunch of local people were sitting in a coffee shop, chatting about braver. One man in particular was bragging loudly. “I’m not afraid of anything!” he boasted.” _

_ ““Oh yeah?” asked his buddy. “I’ll bet that you aren’t brave enough to spend a night alone in that old abandoned house!” The boaster didn’t want to admit that he was afraid, so he agreed to sleep in the house that very night.” _

_ “At dusk, he arrived at the house alone. He checked every room and found nothing unusual. He chose an upstairs bedroom, spread out his sleeping bag on the floor, and tried to sleep. He had just dozed off when he heard a faint noise from downstairs. He strained to hear what it was. It sounded like someone moaning these words:  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the front hall!””_ **

_ The man told himself that he was just imagining things. It must be the wind, he thought. But then he heard, a bit louder,  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the bottom of the stairs!””_ **

_ “My imagination is running wild!” thought the man. “I am just going to go to sleep, and soon it will be morning.” But then he heard, even louder,  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the top of the stairs!””_ **

_ “The man dove inside his sleeping bag, but he could still hear the ghost coming closer.  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the upstairs hall!””_ **

_ “The man hid his head under his pillow, but he could hear the ghost coming even closer.  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the bedroom door!””_ **

_ The man was shaking with terror. The door creaked open.  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the bedroom!””_ **

**** _ The ghost paused in the doorway.  _ **_“I am the ghost of the bloody finger!”_ ** _ His father paused momentarily and smiled. “Do you have a bandaid?”  _

_ Jean burst into laughter. “That was a funny one papa,” he said. “Another one!”  _

_ The two remained in their tent, Jean’s father telling him funny ghost stories including: The Ball Pit, Ghost Ship of Captain Sandovate, Golden Hand, Sneakers and Haunted. Each one funnier than the one before. Jean’s father could tell that the stories were making Jean happy by the tears of joy springing from his son’s eyes. By early afternoon, Jean’s father had run out of stories for the two of them. For a few minutes, the two were silent in their tent, Jean curled up snug in his sleeping bag, his father resting beside him, with his hands behind his head.  _

_ His father looked over at Jean with a smile. Before Jean knew it, he felt himself being pulled out from the warmth of his sleeping bag and out into the rain, making him yelp in surprise. His father laughed and spun him around in the air. Jean squirmed in his father’s grip before he felt himself touch the ground again. He glared at his father with a scowl, his father still laughing.  _

_ “Not funny,” Jean said and began to walk back to the tent.  _

_ But he lost his footing and slipped in some mud, landing hard. Mud splashed all over his legs and partially on his arms and face. His father laughed harder at Jean, resting his hands on his knees. Jean blinked for several seconds before scooping up some mud and hurling it at his father, making contact with his cheek. Jean laughed at his father’s shocked expression before feeling mud hit his own body. Before they knew it, mud was flying through the air as they fought each other in the rain and laughter filled the campsite.  _


	6. Day 5

Jean awoke the next morning with laughter still filling his head. He smiled and shifted in his sleeping bag. Beside him, Jeremy still slept soundly so Jean decided to get up. He left the tent and stretched. It had stopped raining and the sun shone brightly over head and the ocean lapped gently on the sand, the wind gently kissed the trees. In the distance he heard birds singing. He took a deep breath in everything smelled fresh and clean after the storm from the previous day. 

Behind him, he heard shuffling from inside the tent as Jeremy started to awaken. Soon, the blonde haired, freckled face, man poked his head out and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at Jean and smiled tiredly. 

“Morning Jean,” Jeremy said. 

“Morning Jeremy,” Jean replied. 

Jeremy slipped out of the tent and stood beside Jean, placing his hands on his back and stretched. “I can’t believe that we’re almost done with our camping trip,” he said. 

“Really?” Jean inquired. 

Jeremy nodded. “By tomorrow evening we’ll be at my parents place.” 

Jean had to admit that he was a little disappointed that they were almost done. He had been enjoying himself these last few days. 

“I can’t believe it’s almost over,” Jean whispered sadly. 

“Hey, I have some great things planned before we actually reach my parents, so don’t worry,” Jeremy said. “But first, breakfast.” 

Jeremy pulled out the box of pancake mix, eggs, water and a large bowl. While Jeremy busied himself making the pancake batter, Jean started the stove and began to make their coffee. In no time they were sitting on their partially soggy camping chairs with their plates in their laps and their coffee mugs on their camping tables. Jeremy stuffed a piece of his breakfast and chewed happily, while Jean sipped on his coffee.

“So, I was thinking…” Jeremy paused to swallow. “Because tonight is our last night we could have some fun watching movies,” he finished. 

“Let me guess, that was another thing you and your father used to do,” Jean said. 

“Yeah, actually,” Jeremy replied with his usual large smile. “Usually on the last night my dad would drive us into town and we would pick up popcorn, chips, hot dogs, soda, marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate. In the evening, we would build up this big fire and roast our meal over it before settling down and just binge watch movies, our favourite was Hook. Then, later in the evening, as we were watching, and the fire was nice and low, we would make s’mores.”

“That sounds fun, I’m down for that,” Jean said. 

“Okay, so that’s the plan,” Jeremy replied. 

He stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and drowned it with his coffee. Jean wasn't as fast at finishing breakfast. While Jeremy cleaned the dishes, Jean finished his own meal leisurely. When he was done, he washed his plate and mug. 

“Before we go into town, let’s go for a swim,” Jeremy insisted. 

“Alright,” Jean said. 

The two grabbed their swim trunks and changed quickly. They rushed into the water and gasped. The rain had made the water much colder than normal that even Jeremy was surprised. Still, it was refreshing. 

They spent an hour in the water before it got too cold for them. At that point they slipped out and dressed for the day, leaving their swim trunks to dry on a nearby tree for a possible swim in the afternoon. When they were ready, they slipped into the car and made their way to the closest town.

It didn’t take long until they hit a small cottage town where there was only one street with four or five stores. All the buildings were made from old bricks and had thatched roofs. There were no sidewalks, just one long street that was made of cobblestone. There were a couple of iron street lamps. It was as if time had not touched this town. They parked and slipped out of the car. 

“Isn’t this a quaint town,” Jeremy commented. 

“Too small for me,” Jean replied. 

Jeremy laughed. “Well, aren’t you a city boy.” 

“Shut up,” Jean laughed. 

The two made their way into the general store and wandered through the aisles. Because Jean had never done anything like a movie night before, he let Jeremy take the lead. He watched as Jeremy tossed bags of chips and popcorn into their basket before grabbing large bottles of soda. He blinked. Would they even be able to eat that much junk food? When they were done, they made their way to the front and cashed out. 

Jeremy and Jean left with bags in tow. With their shopping out of the way, they returned to their campsite. 

~~

As evening approached the two began their preparations for their movie night. Jeremy made himself busy setting up his laptop, while Jean was responsible for setting up the fire. From the bottom of Jeremy’s bag, he pulled out his laptop and large power inverter that could plug into the car for later in the evening. He also grabbed a few DVDs: 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street and Step Brothers. By the time Jeremy was done, Jean had finished the fire, which was crackling. 

Jeremy set up his laptop and turned it on. “What do you want to start with?” he asked. 

“You choose, I’m not really good at picking movies,” Jean said.

“21 Jump Street it is,” Jeremy replied, popping the DVD into his laptop and went to help Jean bring over the food. 

With their fire roaring and movie starting, the two of them settled into their chairs. Jeremy poured each of them a cup of soda--drinking would come later--and passed Jean a bag of chips. As the first movie passed, Jean was surprised at just how much he enjoyed it. Movies had been seen as a distraction when he was with the Ravens. So, he had just learned to not watch them. But, he realized that he actually liked watching them. 

By the time the first movie finished, they had gone through their bags of chips and a bottle of soda between them. Now it was time for their actual meal. Jeremy started their second movie while Jean set up hot dogs and buns near the fire. 

“Movies and chips always makes me hungry,” Jeremy said. “What about you Jean?”

“If you say so,” Jean replied as he skewered a hot dog and hovered it over the fire. 

Jeremy copied Jean. They sat in silence, watching their hot dogs cook, the sound of the movie in the background. When the hot dogs were fully cooked Jean handed Jeremy a bun and condiments. He watched as Jeremy smothered his in ketchup, mustard and relish. Jean was not quite so generous with his condiments. Preferring for a small squirt of ketchup and nothing else. 

The two demolished their first hot dogs within minutes. Jean had figured that after his snack of chips and pop he wouldn’t be hungry. So, he was surprised just how hungry he was. He reached for a second one to cook as Jeremy’s hand reached into a second cooler and brought out a couple of beers. He twisted off the top and handed one to Jean before downing half of his own. Jean smiled in thanks and sipped his own. 

“Having fun Jean?” Jeremy asked. 

“Yes, actually I never thought that I would have this much fun. In fact, I never thought I was allowed to have this much fun,” Jean replied. 

“Was it really that bad in the Raven’s Nest?” Jeremy asked. He froze when he realized what he had just said. “Oh shit, sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” 

“It’s fine Jeremy, you know some of my history. Might as well tell you the rest,” he sighed. Jean stared at his half-eaten hot dog on his plate. “The Master kept us under a strict regime. We weren’t allowed to do anything that wasn’t related to Exy. No movies, no alcohol, no junk food, no vacations, we weren’t even allowed to date. So, this is the first time I’ve done any of this,” he admitted. 

Jeremy smiled and placed a hand on Jean’s shoulder. Jean looked up slowly. 

“Then I’m glad that we were able to have this time together,” Jeremy admitted.

Jean squeezed his hands on his pant legs. “Your friendship really means a lot to me.” 

“Anything for my best friend,” Jeremy replied with a wink. 

By the time their second movie ended they had finished a package of hot dogs and a case of beers. Jean rubbed his stomach with satisfaction and sat back as Jeremy plugged in his laptop into his inverter plug and put in the last movie of the night. Jeremy sat back and pulled out the ingredients for s’mores. Jean looked over at Jeremy with shock. 

“How can you still be hungry?” Jean asked. 

“You gotta have dessert man,” Jeremy insisted. “I bet you haven’t even had a s’more before.” 

“No, I have not,” Jean admitted. 

“Then you’re in for in for an experience of a lifetime,” Jeremy said. 

Before Jean could argue he was given a long stick. Jeremy placed everything for s’mores on their camping tables and pulled out a marshmallow. 

“Now, watch me, there’s a fine art to making s’mores,” Jeremy explained, hovering his marshmallow above the fire. “I’m an expert at making these. And the first thing you have to do is toast your marshmallow just right.” 

“Hey expert, your marshmallow is burning,” Jean said. 

Jeremy tensed and quickly pulled his stick away and blew out the fire. “No matter, even with a burned marshmallow, s'mores taste delicious,” Jeremy laughed. “Next, what you have to do is place a piece of chocolate onto a graham cracker…” Jeremy paused and showed Jean just what to do. “Now, with graham cracker and chocolate together, you place the marshmallow on top and top it off with another graham cracker.” He placed the marshmallow and final graham cracker on top and pulled the stick away. “TA DA! Perfect s’more. Here, try.”

Jean was wary about eating something that was just recently on a stick and something that was burned. But, Jeremy had such an eager face and he didn’t want to insult him, so Jean took the treat and bit into it. He was expecting the overpowering taste of the burnt part of the marshmallow, instead he was surprised by the sweetness that came through from the chocolate and marshmallow. Combined with the bland taste of the graham cracker, the treat was not so bad. He nodded and licked his lips. 

“Not bad, not bad at all,” he said. 

Jeremy smiled. “What’d I tell ya? Amazing right?” Jeremy asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I have to admit it’s good,” Jean replied. 

“I’ll take that as a win,” Jeremy said as he grabbed himself another marshmallow. 

Jean smiled and placed his s’more in his lap and turned back to the movie while Jeremy made his own dessert. They each had two more s’mores as the movie continued. Jean watched through the corner of his eyes as Jeremy licked the remaining marshmallow and chocolate from his fingers. Jean found Jeremy’s childlike behaviour charming and cute. He smiled softly. 

When the movie ended Jeremy stretched and yawned. And no wonder, it was nearly three am! The two made quick work cleaning from their movie marathon before heading to bed. 

~~

_ Jean was disappointed when his father told him that it was almost the last day of their camping trip. He was enjoying himself way too much and didn’t want to go home. As a means of protesting, Jean sat in the tent, pouting. When he didn’t come out for breakfast, his father poked his head inside the tent.  _

_ “Jean, come on out and have some breakfast,” his father insisted.  _

_ “No,” he replied angrily.  _

_ His father pursed his lips and shrugged. “Okay, I guess you don’t want me to tell you about the surprise I have in store for us.”  _

_ The thought of a surprise peaked Jean’s interest. “Yes, I want to know about the surprise, papa,” he said.  _

_ “Nah, it’s not that good anyways,” his father said “Besides, I only talk about surprises at breakfast.” His head disappeared out of the tent.  _

_ “Wait!” Jean quickly followed him out and took a seat, waiting patiently for breakfast.  _

_ His father smiled and handed him a plate of pancakes. “Eat first, then you’ll get the surprise.”  _

_ Jean nodded and quickly tucked into breakfast while his father served himself. When they were done, Jean pushed his plate away and smiled at his father, his eyes glittering with excitement over the surprise. His father placed their plates into a basin to be washed later and motioned for Jean to follow him to the car. Jean ran and practically jumped into the car, bouncing in his seat. When his father joined him, he turned to him.  _

_ “What’s the surprise? You promised to tell me after breakfast!” he cried.  _

_ “Ah, right,” his father replied and started the car. “Well, since it will be our last evening for camping, we’re going to be doing a movie marathon. Movies, popcorn, soda, hot dogs and a special dessert,” his father explained. “And the best part is, you get to stay up past your bedtime.”  _

_ “Thank you papa!” Jean cheered. _

_ “You’re welcome Jean,” his father replied.  _

_ Once again, the two drove into town and were welcomed by the same cottage houses and the same series of stores from before. They walked the familiar streets to the general store. At the front, his father grabbed a basket before making his way through the aisles. Jean followed closely behind him. He watched closely as his father grabbed a bag of popcorn and chips, a bottle of soda, hot dogs and hot dog buns before making their way back to the front. Jean noticed that his father hadn’t picked up any dessert.  _

_ “What about the dessert?” he asked.  _

_ “Don’t worry, we’re still going to get it,” his father replied.  _

_ Jean nodded and waited patiently as his father paid for their groceries. The two of them left and immediately made a right, walking down the street. Before Jean knew it, they were in front of a small bakery. His father led Jean inside. There was a large display case with varying desserts laid out on glass shelves. Along the walls were large wooden shelves with pre-packaged baked goods and chocolates. The smell of pastries filled the air, making Jean’s mouth water. He took a deep breath in and licked his lips.  _

_ “Jean,” his father said.  _

_ He looked up at his father. “Yes?”  _

_ “What would you like?” His father asked.  _

_ Jean looked at the display case carefully. Everything looked so good, he couldn’t pick just one. There were Macarons, Crème Brûlée, Lemon-Berry Savarin, Palmiers. His eyes wandered over the row upon row of Macrons and pointed.  _

_ “Macrons please, papa,” he said.  _

_ His father nodded and turned back to the cashier. “May we have a selection of Macrons?”  _

_ “Yes sir,” came the reply.  _

_ A selection of Macrons were placed into a pretty box and handed to his father. They paid for their treats and left with their purchase. Once back in the car they made their way back to their campsite. Throughout the drive, Jean kept peering back at what they had gotten, a wide smile across his face.  _

_ ~~ _

_ By the evening, they had a fire crackling in the fire pit, the flames licking through the cooking grate just above. Jean watched his father collect everything they needed for their movies from his bag: laptop and laptop cord. From his bag, he pulled out two movies: Casper, The Pagemaster and Hook. Jean jumped in his seat as his father approached.  _

_ “Alright, alright, settle down,” his father said and knelt.  _

_ Soon the movie was set up and Jean sat wide-eyed at the screen. Hook was one of his favourite movies and they were at the part where Tinkerbell was making a deal with Hook about starting the war of the century in Neverland. He always loved that part. Especially because it involved pirates. As he watched his father silently left and brought over popcorn and soda for them both. Jean eagerly took his popcorn and stuffed a handful in his mouth, his cheeks slightly bulging. His father cleared his throat as he took a seat.  _

_ “Thank you papa,” Jean said, mouth still full.  _

_ “You’re welcome,” his father replied with a soft smile.  _

_ Jean stuffed another handful of popcorn into his mouth and downed it with soda. His father couldn’t help but chuckle and gently push his fingers through his son's hair. As the first movie progressed, his father slipped away temporarily and went to cook dinner, cooking them each two hot dogs and making carrot sticks. Dinner was made just in time for the first movie to finish.  _

_ Jean’s meal was placed in front of him. Both his hot dogs were made with just a squirt of ketchup on each of them. _

_ “Thanks papa,” Jean said.  _

_ His father nodded in return as he switched from the movie Hook to the movie The Pagemaster. He settled next to his son and wrapped a single arm around him as the two enjoyed their dinner. Dinner was soon followed by dessert and also a final movie change. Before grabbing dessert, his father placed the final movie, Casper, into his laptop. As the movie started Jean’s father slipped away and plated three Macarons--chocolate, strawberry and vanilla--and gave it to Jean as a final treat. Jean’s smile went on forever as he saw the Macarons that were just for him.  _

_ As the night progressed they continued with their movies. Jean’s laughter filled the air. His father smiled and held him close. It was nice to see Jean having fun. His father leaned in and kissed the side of Jean’s head. He loved his son, and he would always love his son.  _

_ As the last movie finished, Jean yawned and stretched. His father smiled and lifted Jean into his arms and carried him to the tent. He laid him back on his mattress and pulled the sleeping bag up to his son’s chin. He leaned down and kissed the top of Jean’s head.  _

_ “Good night Jean,” he said. “I hope you enjoyed yourself on this trip.” _

_ “It was the best papa. Thank you,” he said sleepily. “I love you.”  _

_ “Love you too, Jean,” he replied.  _


	7. Day 6

Jean awoke with tears in his eyes. He sat up and placed a hand on his forehead. That had been  _ some _ dream. That had been the first time  _ anyone  _ had told him they loved him. Dream, or otherwise. He smiled at the thought and sniffed. 

“You okay Jean?” came Jeremy’s voice beside him. 

Jean wiped away his tears and looked to Jeremy, the smile still across his face. He nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I just had a really great dream,” he replied. 

“It must’ve been some dream, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry before,” Jeremy said, sitting up beside him. 

“I don’t remember when the last time I cried was,” he admitted. “This was...cleansing.” 

Jeremy smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. “Feeling good?” 

“Feeling great,” he said. 

They left the tent and stretched. Jeremy rolled his shoulders and glanced at Jean. 

“So, today’s our last day, by tonight, we’ll be sleeping in comfortable beds,” Jeremy said. 

Jean was silent. He couldn’t believe that it was their last day camping. A part of him didn’t want the trip to end. There was something about this trip that made Jean a different person, a better person. But he knew that the camping trip had to come to an end. 

“Jean,” Jeremy’s voice called through his thoughts. “Breakfast.” 

Jeremy was kneeling next to their stove and was now in the process of making up all the leftover food for one big breakfast. Jean walked over and took a seat next to Jeremy, preparing their coffee. Finally, they had a breakfast of eggs, sausage, toast, refried beans and coffee. All this food would, no doubt, take them to dinner. 

“So, what had you so distracted?” Jeremy asked, spooning refried beans into his mouth. 

“I just can’t believe that our trip is finally over,” Jean replied, nibbling on a piece of toast. 

“Had fun, huh?” Jeremy said. 

“Yeah,” Jean replied. “I have to admit, I wasn’t really looking forward to the trip because I thought it would take time away from training.” 

“And now?” Jeremy asked. 

“After taking this trip, I have to admit that this was the best time of my life. For the first time I was...relaxed,” he said. 

Jeremy’s face changed. His gaze softened, and clasped his hands together, as he looked at Jean with ederement. “Awe, JEAN!” he cried, as tears filled his eyes. “I am so happy to hear that!” 

Jean turned away and blushed madly as Jeremy stared lovingly at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, are we going to go swimming before heading back to your place?” he asked, quickly changing the subject. 

Jeremy wiped away his tears and nodded. “Anything you want buddy,” he replied. 

They made quick work finishing up their breakfast and cleaned their dishes. They both agreed that they would pack up their site later. First, they were focused on one last swim. For the last time they slipped on their swimming trunks and ran for the water. And, for the first time, Jean immediately dove, head first, in, only to come up a minute later. Nearby, Jeremy stood chest deep in the water and smiled at Jean. He returned the smile before bursting into laughter. Jeremy joined in before jumping on Jean’s back playfully. 

The two spent the rest of the morning wrestling in the water together. Due to his sheer size and strength Jean, almost always, had the upper hand, tossing Jeremy into the water with ease. When they had enough fooling around in the water, they returned to the beach and flopped onto a small, grassy patch. Jeremy slipped his hands behind his head and stared up at the trees, the sun streaming through their branches. Jean placed his hands on his chest and stared softly at Jeremy. 

“I have to say, out of all the camping trips that I’ve done, this one has been the best,” Jeremy said casually. 

“Why’s that?” Jean asked. 

“Cause I got to spend it with you,” Jeremy replied. 

Jean felt himself blush again. He heard Jeremy shift beside him and then the warmth of his lips pressed against his cheek. He looked to Jeremy, who smiled sweetly. Had Jeremy just kissed him? 

“Why did you do that?” Jean asked, confused. 

Jeremy chuckled softly. “Cause I like you,” he replied. “I hope we can be more than just best friends one of these days.” 

No one had said anything like that before to Jean. He found himself smiling and pressed his forehead against Jeremy’s. 

“I think we could see where this goes,” Jean whispered. 

~~

It didn’t take them long to pack up their campsite and head for home. And it only took them another couple of hours to finally reach Jeremy’s family home. The house was a large, white, two storey, house with brown terracotta tiles on the roof. As they parked in the driveway, Jean noticed a small stone path that led to a small brick porch. On the second floor, he noticed a large balcony with deck chairs, a glass table and a barbecue. It seemed that someone was already cooking there. 

A knock came at his window. “Jean, quit your day dreaming and get in here!” he said through the glass. 

Jean nodded dumbly and slipped out of the car. The two grabbed their bags and the coolers before heading towards the door. Jeremy hurried to the front porch and rang the doorbell. Jean arrived seconds later and placed his cooler on the ground and stretched his sore muscles. The door opened a moment later. A small, thin, older woman stood on the other side. She screamed loudly, making Jean jump back. 

“Jeremy!” she cried, opening her arms and wrapped her arms around Jeremy. “It’s so good to see you!” 

“It’s good to see you too mom,” Jeremy replied, wrapping a single arm around her shoulders. He soon pulled away. 

“Jere-bear, have you been eating? You look too thin,” she said. 

“Yes mom, I eat,” Jeremy replied. He cleared his throat and pulled Jean forward. “Mom, this is my best friend, and teammate, Jean Moreau,” he said. “Jean, this is my mother Rachel.” 

Jean smiled. “Hello madam, it’s very nice to meet you,” he said and stretched a hand for her to shake. 

“Jean, we heard so much about you,” she said, ignoring his hand and going straight for a hug. 

Jean coughed as she hugged him. Like her son, her grip was unusually strong for someone so small. 

“I hope he said good things about me,” Jean said. 

“Of course, nothing but good things,” she replied and headed back into the house. “Come in, come in. You two must be so hungry.” 

“Starving,” Jeremy said as he followed her into the house. 

He dropped his bag and the cooler in the living room to be dealt with later. Jean followed his lead and placed his bag next to Jeremy’s and followed him further into the house. As they meandered down the hall towards the kitchen, a scream was heard at the top of the stairs. 

“Jeremy!” a girl’s voice cried. 

Jeremy looked up to see a strawberry blonde hurrying down the steps. She brushed past Jean and flung her arms around Jeremy’s neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air. They both laughed. When they had finished greeting each other, he placed the girl back onto the floor and motioned for her to turn. 

“Dinah, this is my friend Jean. You probably saw him on court during my Trojan games,” he said. “And Jean, this is my little sister Dinah.” 

“Hello,” Jean said. 

“Jean! I’ve heard so much about you!” She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him tightly. 

Jeremy and Jean glanced at each other and smiled. Jeremy’s mother poked her head out from the kitchen and smiled. 

“Dinner’s ready you three,” she said. 

Dinah let Jean go. The three of them walked through the hall and entered the large kitchen. The kitchen table was set for five people. Already, there was a bowl of salad, a plate of corn and a large pitcher of lemonade. Without hesitation Dinah and Jeremy took their seats across from each other and waited for the rest of the family to join them. Steps were heard from behind Jean. He turned to see a blonde, freckled face, older gentleman, approach. Jean figured that the man must be Jeremy’s father. He felt himself stiffen. The man stopped and looked up. 

“Jean Moreau, am I correct?” he asked. 

“Yes sir, pleased to make your acquaintance,” he replied, offering his hand. 

“It’s great to finally meet you, my name is Michael,” he said.

Michael took Jean’s hand warmly and shook it. After a brief moment, Michael released his hand and took a seat at the head of the table. Rachel brought over a plate of ribs and placed the plate on the table. Jean stood awkwardly in the doorway, his hand rubbing his arm. 

Jeremy looked over. “Come on Jean, sit down.” He patted the chair next to him and smiled. 

Jean walked over and took the seat next to Jeremy. He was poured a glass of lemonade and was served a large portion of food. Before eating, Michael cleared his throat and lifted his glass. The rest of the family did the same, so Jean copied what they did. 

“A toast, of course, to the cook,” he said, tilting his glass towards his wife. 

“To the cook!” the family repeated. 

“As well as a toast to Jean. Welcome to the family Jean.” Michael nodded to Jean and smiled. 

“Yes, welcome to the family,” Jeremy replied and wrapped an arm around Jean’s shoulders. 

Jean couldn’t help but smile as he realized that this was no dream. 


End file.
